Hanging By A Moment
by MarshMyMellow
Summary: Someone has their sights set on Olivia, and he will go to any lengths he can to make sure he has her. When events take a turn for the worse will our favorite detectives make it out alive? EO
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:**** Hey everyone! This is my first fanfic… please let me know what you all think. Thanks! - Sam**

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Olivia lay awake in bed staring intently at her ceiling, memorizing the patterns along it when she heard her phone vibrate against the wooden surface of her bedside table. Sighing she reached for it and a smile unknowingly made its way across her face when she saw the display screen. It was a text message… a text message from none other than her partner and best friend Elliot Stabler.

_I can't sleep. -El_

She chuckled inwardly as she texted him back.

_Me either -Liv_

_Coffee? -El_

_To help us sleep? - Liv_

_You can have tea then… - El_

_I'll be over in 15 - Liv _

Elliot smiled contentedly. Ever since his split from Kathy he'd had trouble sleeping. It wasn't the absence of Kathy he was having trouble with though, it was the absence of anyone. Sleeping in bed with someone for almost 20 years does that to a person. But Olivia was on her way. It was not a strange occurrence for the two to be spending time together, I mean this was the woman who he spent almost every waking minute of his adult life with, so why was he so anxious for her arrival?

He pushed the thought out of his head and exited his bedroom to make sure that the place was presentable when she arrived. After tidying up briefly he heard a knock at the door. His heart rate quickened and he smiled at the door. He always knew when it was her. Her knock was delicate yet demanding, classic Olivia.

He opened the door to see her standing there, beverages in hand. She was still dressed in what he assumed to be her sleepwear; loose fitting black sweat pants and a white tank top that showed the curves of her toned body. His eyes traveled further up and he noticed her hair lay delicately on her shoulders. He wanted so badly to reach out and stroke it, it looked so soft… so Olivia.

"You gonna stare at me all night or you gonna let me in Stabler?" she said as a grin played at the corners of her mouth.

He cleared his throat and shook his head embarrassed that he'd been caught he mumbled a quick "Sorry…" and stepped aside to grant her entrance.

She walked past him and placed his coffee on the counter top then went to sit on the sofa. He grabbed his coffee and went to join her.

"So, why can't you sleep?" he asked.

"Oh, some jerk keeps texting me in the middle of the night telling me he can't sleep. I guess the guy figures that if he can't sleep neither should anyone else. What a piece of work huh?" she said grinning deviously.

"Liv, you didn't have to come. If you were asleep you just shouldn't have replied. I'm sorry if I woke you…"

"El," she cut him off "I was just joking. If I had been asleep I would have stayed asleep, I wasn't so here I am."

"Thanks for the coffee."

"No problem."

"Want to watch some TV or something?"

"Sure."

He turned on the television and handed her the remote control. "Ladies choice…" he smiled.

She returned the smile and took the remote from him and let her hand linger for a little while longer than it probably should have before beginning to surf through the channels. She finally decided on episode of "Friends" and rested her head on his shoulder.

Surprised at her action he looked down at her quizzically. "Oh, sorry… do you mind? I'm just really tired." she said in response to his look of confusion.

"No not at all… I just… here, let me move my arm." he moved his arm so it was resting on the sofa behind her. She adjusted her position and leaned once again on his shoulder. He smiled and was about to say something to her when he looked down and saw that she was already asleep. He chuckled lightly and gently took the remote control from her lap and turned off the TV. He pulled the blanket that was resting on the arm of the sofa next to him and draped it over their bodies.

Before long he was asleep as well and his arm that was innocently on the back of the sofa was soon protectively around Olivia's shoulders. They both slept better that night than either could remember ever sleeping before, even if it was only on a sofa.

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He sat in the dark staring at the only light in the room. One wall was illuminated by dozens of candles giving his mosaic an eerie glow. He stared intently, obsessively at the photographs and newspaper clippings on the wall. Soaking them in just as he did every night for the past 6 months. This night was different though. This was the night before all of his dreams came true, and his long awaited plot was put into action.

His laugh was low and husky as he stood and walked towards one of the photos stroking it as he groaned hungrily.

"Soon… Olivia. Very soon we'll be together, and no one… not even your precious Detective Stabler will get in the way."

He placed a soft kiss on the photo and began to blow out the candles. He exited the room and closed the heavy door behind him before climbing the stairs that lead him out of his paradise and into the real world. It was almost time for his dreams to become a reality. His paradise and the real world were going to collide head on, and in the end he was going to get what he wanted, no matter what the price to pay. Olivia was as good as his...

**A/N:**** So what did you think? I know it's kind of cliché right now, but I'm going to attempt to break a****way from that. This is my first fanfic so pleaseeee let me know what you think! Thanks for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

****

A/N:

Hey everyone! Thanks so much for all of the reviews! Now I know why people love them so much!! Keep them coming! - Sam

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Olivia and Elliot woke the next morning in positions similar to the ones they had fallen asleep in, but there were some slight variations. Olivia's legs were slung over Elliot's lap with her hands resting delicately on his chest and Elliot's arm that was not wrapped around Olivia's shoulders was resting in his lap, his hand resting lovingly on her thigh.

Elliot was the first one to awaken. He took in his surroundings and assured himself that he wasn't dreaming, and once he was sure he closed his eyes in an attempt to make the moment last forever. He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head and inhaled the aroma of her hair.

She began to stir lightly and Elliot silently wished that she would stay asleep just so he could continue to hold her in his arms. She involuntarily sighed and a smile played at her lips. He tightened his grip on her a bit and that's when her eyes fluttered open. A confused look washed over her as she pushed her bangs out of her eyes and inspected her surroundings.

When she realized where she was she looked up at the unknown form that was holding her and softly gasped with realization. She began searching his eyes for something, she didn't know what, but she kept searching, hoping to find some kind of answer or guidance as to what should happen next.

Elliot didn't dare move. He felt as though if he moved a muscle… even the slightest motion would cause her to spring from his lap and run like hell as far away from him as possible, and he wasn't willing to risk that, so he froze.

After finding no answer within his eyes she slowly stood up and turned away from him deciding to avoid eye contact altogether. She ran a hand through her hair and began to gather her things.

"I uhh… I should probably get going. We uh… we have to be at the station in a couple of hours and I…"

"Yeah… see you in a few hours." he said tentatively.

She looked up at him and smiled slightly then nodded before she turned around and left the apartment.

He closed the door behind him and sighed heavily, closing his eyes he tried to channel the feeling of her lying peacefully in his arms. .

"Wow…" he grinned widely then headed towards the shower.

Olivia walked down the hallway of Elliot's building towards the elevator. She was trying to make sense of everything that had just happened but found herself throwing all logical thoughts out the window and wanting to run back into Elliot's apartment and throw herself at him.

She placed her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants and for the life of her she couldn't repress the smile that had taken up residence on the contours of her face as she stepped into the elevator. "Wow…"

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They day had continued with no avail, and the two detectives tried to act as though the previous night hadn't occurred, but they both found it becoming increasingly difficult to forget and as they thought about it more a sense of happiness seemed to wash over the two of them.

"What's with those two?" Fin asked his partner as he noticed the dynamic between the other detectives.

"Oh you mean the Fairy Princess and Captain Rainbows, prince and princess of happy land?" Munch asked sarcastically.

"Spare me the funny talk, do you know what's with them or not?" Fin asked becoming irritated with his partner's so called "witty" attitude so early in the morning.

"Well isn't it obvious. They finally did it." Munch stated definitely.

"Did what?"

Munch raised his eyebrows suggestively and smirked. "_It…_"

"Do you ever think about anything…" before he could finish he looked over to see Olivia sitting at her desk looking at her computer screen while Elliot leaned over the back of her chair whispering something into her ear as she… what was that? Was Olivia Benson giggling?

"Jesus… I hate to admit this but maybe you're right." Fin admitted in defeat.

"It happens my man, it happens…"

The end of the day approached and Elliot couldn't stand the thought of leaving Olivia, not after last night. He wanted to spend all the time that he could with her.

"Hey Liv?"

"Yeah?" she looked up from her computer screen and smiled.

"Do you uh… do you uh maybe want to go to dinner with me, or drinks… we could just do drink if you aren't hungry, or we don't have to do anything if you don't want to…" he stammered. 'What the hell is wrong with me?' he screamed in his head. 'This is Liv for Christ's sake. I feel like I'm a teenager… you're an idiot!'

"Dinner sounds great." she laughed at his sudden inability to form words and stood up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm great. You ready to go?"

"Yeah." They began to walk out of the precinct doors.

"So, who's buying?" he asked jokingly.

"Well, you've done it the last five or six times so I guess… you are." she nudged him playfully.

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He saw them exit the building and felt a familiar twitch of anger as he saw his hand on the small of her back.

Olivia and Elliot both stepped into his car and pulled away oblivious to the black sedan that trailed them all the way to the restaurant.

He watched them eat, and laugh, and talk. "That should be me!" he yelled hitting the steering wheel with such force he was surprised that his hand was not broken.

They were seated in front of a window so he could see them perfectly. He saw her perfect features, her hair glistening in the light, the way her lips parted as she took a bite of her food. He needed her and he wouldn't... no_ couldn't _wait any longer.

He stepped out of the vehicle carrying a plain white envelope. He stopped a woman on the street and asked her to deliver it to their waiter and in return he gave her a wad of bills.

The waiter approached Elliot and Olivia and handed her the envelope. "Excuse me Miss, I was asked to deliver this to you."

"Oh, thank you." she said puzzled at what it could be.

"What's that?" he asked with equal confusion.

She opened the envelope and pulled out a folded sheet of yellow paper. She carefully unfolded it and her brow furrowed when she saw what was written.

_Olivia,  
I know you better than you know yourself. I know that blue is your favorite color, your favorite movie is The Goodbye Girl, and I even know what you're doing right now. I always know. Ask Detective Stabler how his Spaghetti is for me. That's right I see you, and I know that you're smart enough to know that when someone tells you not to do something for your own good and for the safety of your friends you won't do it. So if you show this to Detective Stabler I promise you that you will regret it. I don't want to hurt you. I just want to claim what is mine. Go home alone… I'll be waiting. I advise you not to screw this up. I know you'll do the right thing.  
Love,  
You'll Find Out Soon Enough_

Her mouth was agape and her hand was trembling slightly.

"Liv, are you okay? What is that?" He reached for the paper and she snatched it away from him.

"It's nothing… just uh… some guy at another table asking me out. It's stupid, just forget it." she stumbled, placing the note securely in her pocket.

"Are you sure?"

"It's fine El just drop it." she snapped but then smiled in an attempt to relieve her harsh words.

He returned her smile masking his concern and they continued their meal. He paid the check and as they were exiting the restaurant her eyes darted around looking for whoever may have written the note.

"Umm, want to go back to your place for drinks?" she asked with the smallest hint of desperation in her voice.

"Sure, you're place is closer though."

"I know, but I'd just really prefer your place. Do you mind?"

"Of course not. Is everything okay?" he asked, his voice heavy with concern.

"Yeah, let's go." she smiled and pulled him to the car.

He followed them in the direction opposite of her apartment and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel with anger. "You couldn't listen, could you? Well, you're going to wish you had... "

**A/N: Still cliche right now, but it'll change... I think. Haha. Thanks so much for reading! Don't forget to review!**


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**__** This chapter is mostly just going to be EO stuff, but who doesn't love that? The "action" will come in the next one I promise!Keep the reviews coming! I love them dearly! xox**_

_Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill._

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Olivia and Elliot entered his apartment hastily as she literally pushed him through the door.

"Liv, what's the matter with you? You've been acting strange ever since we left the restaurant, like you're in some kind of hurry. Are you sure everything's okay?"

"Yeah." she said slightly out of breath from the combination of the physical exertion of dragging him up to his apartment as quickly as she could and fear. "I'm just a little on edge I guess, and what better to take the edge off than a good drink with good company?" she smiled.

The note that was still in her pants pocket felt as though it was burning a hole right through her thigh, constantly reminding her of the anxiety that was plaguing her. Elliot poured them both a glass of wine and sat down on the sofa motioning for him to join her.

Her eyes darted around the room a few times before she took his hint and sat down beside him taking her glass from him gratefully. The liquid soothed her tightening throat as she gulped the wine greedily.

"Liv, you seem… I don't know distracted. Is there something that you're not telling me?" in her mind she was pleading with him to drop the subject.

She knew she should tell him about the note, about the man who was apparently watching her every move, but she couldn't. It specifically said not to tell him for _his_ safety, she couldn't put him at risk because of her problem. She knew that whoever this crazy bastard was, was probably seething with angee because she specifically ignored his instruction to return home alone. But what could she do? She was a cop, she knew better than that. She couldn't put herself or anyone else in evident danger so she did the only thing that seemed to make sense. She stayed away from her apartment, avoided being alone, and tried desperately to hide this from Elliot. She didn't need him worrying about her more than he already did.

His eyes bore into her own, heavy with concern. Her heart suddenly warmed at his protective nature towards her. Nine years ago had something like this happened she would have been on her own. She could have gone missing and no one would have noticed, let alone cared. Then along came Elliot. He was so good to her. She had never had someone who cared so much for her and made it a point to protect her whenever he could. She was so grateful for that… for him. And sitting there, looking into his eyes as she began to drown in fear and anxiety her heart melted and her mind cleared. For a split second she didn't remember that there was every possibility that there was a stranger following her every move and threatening her life. She forgot everything except for the two of them in his living room looking into each other's eyes… their souls

She didn't know whether it was the fear, the desperation, the anxiety, or perhaps her heart that made her do it, but she did it. She leaned towards his concern ridden face and before she knew it her lips were pressed gently against his. All of the tension that the night had caused her crumbled into a million pieces as he placed both of their glasses down on the coffee table and brought one hand up to cup her face and the other entangled itself in her hair.

Every emotion that coursed through her body was put into that kiss. There was passion, fear, desperation, lust, and most importantly there was love.

She hadn't been acting like herself for the majority of the night and he had been worried about her. When he asked her if there was something that she wasn't telling him he wasn't really expecting an answer. He knew Olivia well enough to know that she was too stubborn to give in that easily, but he also knew that even if she appeared annoyed at his interrogation; deep down she appreciated it.

He looked into her eyes when he asked her. She was beautiful, and even though a lot of the time she didn't think so he hoped to God that she knew that he thought so. He studied the contours of her face. The almond shape of her gorgeous eyes, the prominent curve of her cheek bones, her soft full lips that were slightly parted asking… no begging to be kissed. That's when it happened. He was so confused when she leaned towards him. The muscles in his stomach tightened as he saw her face growing closer and closer to his own until finally their lips met in a gentle, yet mind blowing union.

He deepened the kiss and she responded fully. His tongue slid across her lower lip and she opened her mouth to give him access. Their tongues met and she sighed audibly with content. She slowly pushed him back onto the sofa so she was on top of him, and not once did they separate. His hand came to rest on her waist, caressing the skin that was left bare between the waist band of her pants and the hem of her shirt.

For the first time in what seemed like hours the two parted for oxygen. Olivia hovered over him and he smiled when her palm came up to rest on his cheek, she brought it down to trace the line of his strong jaw before finally resting a finger on his lips.

He kissed her finger lightly and she smiled in awe of what had just occurred between the two of them. Despite everything she was happy. For the first time in her life she was actually happy… happy enough to forget.

Elliot sat up and pulled Olivia into his lap. She kissed the corner of his mouth then nuzzled her face into his neck. He kissed the top of her head and tightened his grip around her body.

They sat that way in comfortable silence for a few serene minutes. "El?" she whispered into his neck, eyes closed.

"Mhmm?" he murmured into her hair.

"There's something I need to show you." she sat up and slid her legs off of his lap.

"Liv…" he said hesitantly, afraid of what she may reveal. She removed herself from his lap fully and stood up so she could have access to her pants pocket. She slowly reached into it and pulled out the all too familiar sheet of yellow paper. He recognized it immediately and took a deep breath. He knew there was more to that piece of paper than she was letting on. She bit her bottom lip nervously as she handed it to him. He unfolded it and began to read what was written. When she sat down beside him he put a reassuring hand on her knee and she placed her hand over his. As his eyes descended down the page she could feel his grip on her knee tighten and his breathing became heavier. He finished reading then turned to look at her.

Originally he was angry that she kept this from, but when he looked up to see her face his anger instantly diminished. She looked so small, so scared. Her bottom lip was trembling and breaths were uneven. He placed a soft kiss on her forehead and held her face in his hands.

"Liv, look at me." she tried to turn her head away but he gently pulled it back. "Look at me. I promise I won't let anything happen to you. Not now, not ever." her eyes filled with unshed tears that she tried desperately to contain. One stray tear fell and he wiped it away with the pad of his thumb before kissing her.

He placed his forehead against hers ," I'll kill this bastard before he gets within a hundred feet of you."

The moment was interrupted by a shrill knock on the door. Olivia jumped and a breath caught in her throat. They both instinctively reached for their guns and Elliot placed a protective hand on her shoulder as he stood up to get the door. He approached the door and saw a familiar sheet of yellow paper at the foot of it. He quickly picked it up and inside was a Polaroid of him and Olivia kissing on his sofa earlier in the evening. He looked at the two words on the paper and his stomach felt like it hit the floor.

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Too late…

**_A/N: The "Too late" was in reference to what Elliot said about him getting within 100 feet of Olivia if that didn't make sense, and I know this one wasn't very exciting, but the next chapter will be better I hope. This was chalk full of EO goodness though and it was cute at least wasn't it? Review darlings!_**


	4. Chapter 4

**_A/N:_ Hey all, I'm sorry this took so long. I'm at a family reunion all of this week, so my time to write is minimal. Thank you so much for all of the reviews! They encourage me to write just as fast as I can. Enjoy lovelies!**

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Elliot flew towards the door, opening it and bursting into the hallway looking for the culprit. His head snapped to his right when he saw the elevator doors closing, and he darted after them, flying down the stairs in an attempt to catch the bastard on his way out.

Olivia ran after Elliot watching helplessly as he bolted for the stairs. She closed her eyes trying to calm her ragged breaths. Her mind slowly drifted to moments before and her new found expressions towards Elliot. She swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and took another deep breath letting the pleasant thoughts momentarily soothe her.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by her ringing cell phone. She closed the door behind her and ran towards her phone. She breathed a sigh of relief when the caller ID said Elliot. She picked up the phone quickly.

"El! Did you see who it was?"

"Hello Olivia."

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt the sudden urge to vomit. The voice on the other end was not Elliot's, but the call was coming from his phone.

"Who the fuck are you?! Where's Elliot?" her voice shook with emotion as her mind swirled with millions of unanswered questions.

"I warned you not to tell Olivia." his voice was sickeningly calm. "You didn't listen to me, I warned you and you didn't listen. You made your choice, I'm just sorry you waited until it was too late to realize that it was the wrong one. Are you ready to cooperate?"

"Where's Elliot?" she felt ill. she couldn't believe what was happening.

"I asked if you were willing to cooperate." he repeated with the same eerie calmness.

"You son of a bitch tell me where he is!" she was beginning to break.

"Ooh are we having regrets?"

"Just tell me where he is… please." she choked back a sob.

"Well, since you asked so nicely… he's alive. For the time being that is. I can change that, and don't think I'll think twice before doing so. Some wise decisions on your part could prevent that though. So I'll ask you once more, are you willing to cooperate?"

"What do you want?"her resolve finally began to crumble.

"Go home _alone… _like I originally told you to. I advise you not to make the same mistake twice. Do you understand Olivia?

"Yes. Please… leave Elliot out of this." she pleaded.

"As long as you do what you're told Detective Stabler will remain unharmed. So be at your apartment in 30 minutes."

"I'll be there."

He hung up and she stared at her the phone resting in her palm. Her hand was trembling furiously and she felt as though the world was spinning, then she thought of Elliot. She couldn't let him get hurt because of her. Adrenaline began pumping through her veins and she was suddenly feeling more lucid than she thought she ever had. She gripped the phone tightly in her hand and raced towards the door.

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Olivia stepped out of the car with careful determination. Her heart was pounding in her ears and she could barely keep her breathing under control. Her cell phone was still gripped tightly in the palm of her hand as she quickly began climbing the stairs to her apartment. She reached her floor and had her gun poised firmly in front of her. She walked to her door and noticed that it was slightly ajar. She took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open with her foot.

She was unprepared for what she saw. Her apartment was covered in photos of her illuminated by dozens of candles placed strategically around her living room. In the center of the room was a white box and an all too familiar piece of yellow stationary. She looked around and after realizing that she was alone she placed the gun at her side and walked slowly over to the box and paper. She unfolded the note and braced herself.

_I'm glad you've made the right decision Olivia.  
Inside this box is a dress. I hope you like it, it took me months to pick out the perfect one, and I think I've done it.  
Put it on and go to the bench you and Detective Stabler often eat lunch at in Central Park in one hour.  
Leaving your gun at home would be another wise decision for both you and Detective Stabler.  
I'll be in touch._

She placed the note on the coffee table and opened the box. Inside was a floor length blue satin gown. The gown had thick sequined straps that crossed down the back of it and other than the crossed straps the back was left open all the way down until the small of her back. The front of the dress had a very low scoop neck that she realized would barely cover her breasts.

She stared at herself in the full length mirror and sighed. Normally to wear a dress like the one she was wearing would make her feel beautiful. It fit perfectly, it flattered her figure flawlessly, and the color brought out the olive tones in her skin beautifully. But she didn't feel beautiful, she felt dirty. She felt as though wearing that dress went against everything she stood for… it meant she was letting this bastard win and she hated that.

She noticed her breasts that were practically spilling over the material of the dress. She let a small smile escape he as she thought about how Elliot would react to seeing her in a dress like that. He would probably drop dead at her feet. Her smile was instantly washed away by the thought of Elliot. She stifled a sob and hoped desperately that he was alright, her sadness was suddenly replaced with overwhelming rage towards the man who was putting her and Elliot through this. Determination and drive oozed from her pores as she turned from the mirror and made her way into the living room.

Olivia reached for the gun on her kitchen counter but stopped abruptly when she saw the frame on the wall next to her. It was a photograph of her and Elliot taken at last years office Christmas party. She was smiling at the camera next to Elliot who was looking down at her laughing, they had their arms wrapped around one another. It was her favorite picture of the two of them. She swallowed the pronounced lump that had formed in her throat and walked out of her apartment leaving the gun behind.

**_A/N:_ I know this one is really short, but like I said I have limited writing time all week, so this is just something to tie you all over. I hope you enjoyed what little there was of this chapter. Thanks for reading, and don't forget to push that little blue button so you can review!! xox**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:****Hey everyone! I am SOOOOO sorry for how long this has taken, 27 days, yikes!! It's been wayyyy too long, and all I'm going to say is that sometimes life gets in the way, but no excuses right? I hope you're all still with me, and now without further ado I give you... CHAPTER 5!! - xox Sam**

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Olivia's strides were longer than usual. She was walking with intense determination and drive. Earlier she had felt like giving up, but now her mind was focused solely on Elliot and his safety. She thought about the irony of the situation; wasn't he supposed to be the one worried about her right now? After all she was the one being stalked not him, so why was it that she was in the position to be his savior? She didn't care, all she knew was that's how things had played out and she'd kill the bastard who was putting them through this before she even thought about it if he hurt Elliot.

She rounded the corner in central park and her stilettos clicked against the sidewalk as she approached the bench that she was instructed to go to. Her stomach turned with sadness when she looked at it. She thought about how many lunches they had eaten in this very spot, how many conversations were had, how many cases were broken, and how many moments were shared. It was their spot, and now this mystery man had managed to ruin that as well.

Her eyes searched the darkness for any sign of life. There was nothing; no people, no movement, no animals, no stalker, and no Elliot. Nothing but the eerie stillness that seemed to have washed over the park. Her thoughts were interrupted by the shrill ringing of the cell phone that she had forgotten she was clutching. The sudden sound in the midst of the seep silence had startled her enough so that she dropped the phone as it rang.

She scrambled to pick it up as quickly as possible and when she finally grasped it between her fingers once again she answered.

"Hello?" she almost yelled in anticipation.

"Right on time. I must say that I did quite well for myself choosing that dress. It looks spectacular. Almost good enough for me to forget this whole scheme and take you right there on that bench…" the eerily calm voice that had once drifted through her phone was now coated with growing hunger and lust when Olivia interrupted.

"Where's Elliot?"

"You son of a bitch! Just tell me where he is!"

"Closer than you think."

"What the hell does that mean?!"

"If you know what's good for you you'll stop yelling."

She took a deep breath and forced voice to calm itself, "Where is he?

"When you were younger did you ever play hide and seek?"

"What?"

"Well, you know how when you play hide and seek there's always that one kid who is right under everyone's noses, but they never seem to find him?"

"Please… just tell me where he is." she was no longer demanding… she was pleading.

"Well let's just say that your partner is that kid."

Olivia frantically tried to piece together what he was telling her, but her mind didn't seem to be working. She had 10 years experience as a police officer… she was trained for situations like this, but with the stakes at an all time high, fear seemed to cripple her ability to think clearly.

"Where is he?" she was now on the verge of tears. As soon as she spoke she heard a muffled sound break through the darkness. He head snapped in the direction from which the sound came and she didn't know whether to run towards or away from it, so she froze.

"I'll say one thing for your partner, he has one hell of a sense of timing." as soon as the sentence emerged from the speakers she hung up was sprinting towards the bushes that were continuing to expel muffled sounds.

When she reached them her stomach felt like it was made of concrete as it sank within her. There was Elliot, bound and gagged in the bushes.

"Elliot!"

She quickly began to untie him oblivious to the tears that were freely flowing down her face. She removed the gag and he immediately gasped for oxygen.

"Liv…" his breath was ragged. When he was fully untied he lunged himself towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She was gripping him as tightly as she could manage to and felt as though she was going to pass out right there in his arms.

"El…" was all she could mutter.

"Thank God you're okay. Did he hurt you?"

"No, no, I'm fine, Are _you_ okay? I thought I… I thought he…" she couldn't continue through her sobs.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm fine." he whispered as he stroked her hair. They were interrupted by a familiar click and they both quickly looked up finding themselves face to face with the barrel of a gun. Elliot grasped Olivia more tightly as he felt her begin to tremble, but she slowly pulled away from his embrace and stood up, her eyes full of bewilderment.

"You…" she whispered, the man just smiled. Elliot was beginning to fear the look in Olivia's eyes. It was a combination of horror, recognition, and misery.

"Remember me?" he sneered.

"Liv…" Elliot stood to join her as he stared in confusion.

No…" her voice was barely a whisper and new tears were threatening to spill from her eyes.

"Oh yes." the man snickered, his gun still held firmly in front of him pointing it at the two detectives.

"Liv, Olivia, what's going on?" Elliot tried but she acted as though she hadn't heard a word that he said.

"Oh Olivia, aren't you going to formally introduce me to your partner?"

"How did you find me?" her breath began to quicken and Elliot slowly approached her putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"Well Detective Stabler, it seems as though Olivia has forgotten her manners, so let me introduce myself. My name is Michael Crane, I'm sure Olivia has mentioned me before."

"Liv, who is he?" Elliot whispered into her hair, his eyes never leaving Michael's.

"We… he… he's my ex-fiancé." she stuttered her eyes still wide in disbelief. Elliot's eyes narrowed at the man as he felt even more anger bubble inside of him. Olivia hadn't told him very much about her past relationships, but this guy he remembered. He was the bastard who was ten years older than her that she agreed to marry for the sole reason of escaping her mother. He didn't know many details of their relationship, but he did know one thing; it ended badly, and for some reason Olivia hated the son of a bitch with all of her being, and Elliot was beginning to understand why.

"Ding, ding, ding. We have a winner your prize today Ms. Benson is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Now the two of you turn around and put your hands on that tree."

It was only then that Olivia remembered that Michael was holding a gun. Elliot and Olivia both cautiously turned around to place their palms flat against the tree. He looked over at her in an attempt to make eye contact so that he could somehow reassure her that everything was going to be okay. When he looked at her though her head was slightly bowed and she was staring off into some far off place that he assumed was the realms of her past as silent tears cascaded their way down her cheeks. He had never before seen her look so distant… so scared. Olivia was always the strong one. She was his tough as nails partner who faced horror on a daily basis yet always seemed to keep her spirits high, but this time was different. As he looked at her he didn't see his Liv, he saw someone frail, terrified, and what scared him the most was the look in her eyes. Michael, that bastard of a ghost from her past that was relentlessly haunting her had accomplished in only minutes what she had been fighting against for years. He had broken her.

Before Elliot could complete his thoughts he felt a sharp blow to the back of his head, the last thing that he heard was the agonizing screams of Olivia before darkness swept over him and he was out.

**A/N: So, I really hope that you enjoyed this long awaited chapter, and even more importantly I hope that you're still with me. Let me know that you are by reviewing, because if you don't review I'll assume that no one's reading, and if no one's reading then there's no point to me writing then is there? So REVIEW please!! xox**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:**** Two chapters in only 24 hours, wow! Haha, I'm trying to make up for leaving you all hanging for so long before, so I hope you enjoy this chapter! Oh, and this story does not have a beta right now (gasp)... I know! So if there's anyone out there who is willing to volunteer I would love your help!! - xox Sam**

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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When Elliot woke up an overwhelming pain stabbed through his head. Beneath him was cold concrete and he squinted his eyes in an attempt to focus his vision on his surroundings he was in an empty room with concrete surrounding him on all sides, and the only thing that stood in the room was a television in the corner, there was only one door and he could see the screws of the dead bolt that kept it latched from the other side. When he regained consciousness enough for him to gather his thoughts his first thought was Olivia and his eyes frantically searched the room for her.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed her laying beside him, but his relief was short-lived when he saw that she was unconscious a small trickle of blood was settled along the side of her face. He quickly crawled over to her and checked her pulse and thankfully it was strong.

"Liv… Olivia, come on baby wake up." he tried as he delicately cradled her head in his lap. There was no response and a pronounced lump formed in his throat, and it was then that he noticed what she was wearing. Had he seen her in that dress under any other circumstances he would be nothing but a puddle at her feet, but seeing her now, knowing that it was because of some sick bastard from her past that she was wearing it he wanted nothing more than to cover her up.

Her eyes gently fluttered open and he stroked her hair as her face contorted in pain.

"Shh Liv it's okay."

"Elliot?" her eyes were still drowning in confusion.

"I'm right here Liv." he said as he helped her sit up. She was surveying her surroundings and tears sprang to her eyes as she began to recall the events of the past few hours. Elliot saw her bottom lip begin to tremble and he pulled her into his arms.

"I'm so sorry…" she muttered into his shirt.

"Oh Liv, this isn't your fault."

"Yes it is. If it weren't for me you wouldn't be involved in this mess to begin with. I just… I'm so sorry." she was sobbing now, and it broke Elliot's heart. He had never seen her cry like this before and he was hoping that he would never have see it again.

"Olivia, don't blame yourself. This is no one's fault but that bastard's, do you understand me?" he kissed the top of her head as she nodded weakly and wrapped her arms around his neck burying her tear stained face into his shoulder.

"I want you to know what happened." she whispered into his skin.

"What do you mean?"

"Between Michael and I… I want you to know what happened." he nodded reassuringly and let her continue, "I was so young when we met. He was one of my mother's students and we went out a few times, and this one day out of nowhere he told me that he was in love with me and that he wanted to marry me. I didn't love him, but he loved me. I had never really been loved before; I had no father, my mother had too many problems of her own to worry about me, and there was no one else. All I wanted was for someone to love me, how could I have rejected the only chance I'd ever had at being loved? I couldn't, so I said yes. Shortly after that I moved in with him so I could escape my mother. She told me that if I went through with the marriage that I could forget about seeing her ever again, but I moved in with him regardless of what she'd said. Things were going well between Michael, we even got a dog together. I still wasn't in love with him, but he seemed to worship the ground I walked on, and that was enough for me. He made me feel as though I was worth something, and not just some useless mistake, but then it happened…" her voice broke with emotion.

Elliot was studying her intently as she spoke, reading the raw emotion inside of her, "What happened baby?" he whispered soothingly as he wiped a tear from her cheek with the pad of his thumb.

"I broke it… it was an accident I swear El. I didn't mean to do it…" her voice was thick with fear, and her body began to shake with convulsions of emotion as she once again began to sob.

"Shh Liv, it's okay sweetheart. What did you break?"

"The… the picture. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" she began to ramble again.

"Liv… Olivia, look at me." she brought her eyes up to meet his and he rested his forehead against hers, "It's okay, what picture?"

"It was a picture of Michael and I. There was nothing special about it, it was just an ordinary picture. I knocked it over and the frame shattered, and the picture was ruined. I didn't think it was that big of a deal, but when he came into the room and saw it he just snapped. He started screaming to me about how little I must think of our relationship for me to be so careless with something so precious. I didn't understand why he was so angry, and I told him that, but he came over to me and pinned me against the wall. I kept telling him how sorry I was, and that it was an accident, but he wouldn't listen. He just kept calling me these horrible things, and told me that I didn't deserve him. Then he hit me. He just slapped me right across the face and right then and there I told him that it was over." she choked on a sob, "He threw me to the ground then he packed up his things and left. I was so relieved, I thought it was all over, but then a few days later I came home and the apartment was trashed and there… there was a trail of blood leading to the bedroom. The trail led to my bed, and in it was our dog… dead. He killed our dog El. In blood on the wall he had written 'you will always be mine'. I reported it to the police and I got a restraining order put out on him. I never saw him again… until tonight."

"Jesus Liv, why didn't you tell me?" he sighed, trying to comprehend how anyone could ever do that to any woman, let alone Olivia.

"I guess it never came up." she replied with a small smile. He closed his eyes and kissed her forehead then pulled her into his lap. "So, what are we going to do?"

"I don't know. There's no way that we're getting through that door, so I guess the only thing that we can do is wait."

"Wait for what?" she asked hesitantly.

"I don't know." he sighed, sounding somewhat defeated. "But Liv…"

"Yeah?"

"About what you said before, you are worth something… everything actually, and you could never be just some useless mistake." Olivia lifted her head and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you." she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears.

It was then that the sound of static from the television began to echo throughout the room. They both snapped their heads in the direction of the television just in time to see Michael's face appear on the screen. He sat there with a menacing grin plastered on his face clapping slowly and condescendingly.

"Well bravo… and they say that there's nothing worth watching on TV these days."

Elliot's face grew red with anger. "You son of a bitch! I'm gonna…"

"Ah, ah, ah Detective… that's not a very wise thing to say to the man who holds both of your lives in his hands now is it?"

"Michael please, just let us go. I'll do whatever you want, I promise. Just please let us out of here." Olivia pleaded.

"Whatever I want, huh? Hmm, well as tempting an offer as that is, I'm pretty sure I can find away to get you to do whatever I want without letting you go." his grin was growing wider by the second.

Olivia's vulnerable stage subsided and she began to seethe with anger as she stood up, "Look at you Michael, you always were a coward. You can't even come in here and face us. You have to broadcast yourself on a TV to get the job done. You're not a real man, a real man would fight his own battles. A real man would know how to please a woman, and as I recall that was never one of your strengths." her voice was plagued with that calm anger that she often used in the interrogation room while trying to get a perp angry enough to confess, and by the look on Michaels face, it was working. Michael looked as though she had physically slapped that smug grin right off of his face.

Elliot watched the scene before him and he couldn't help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride for Olivia. Only minutes before she had been curled up in a ball on his lap sobbing, and now here she was, all traces of vulnerability gone, doing what she did best; getting under the bastards skin.

"If that's how you want to play _Liv_," Michael said, his eyes dark with anger as he mocked Elliot's nickname for her, then his lips once again curved into that malicious grin that he wore so well, "then let the games begin."

**A/N: I didn't mean for the end of this to come out sounding like something out of "Saw", so sorry, but I promise it isn't goingt to be like "Saw" haha. So I hope you enjoyed, don't forget to review! All of the ones that I got for the last chapter inspired me to get another chapter out in just a few hours!! Those reviews are like magic, and I would LOVE some more of them! Thanks for reading! xox Sam**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:**** Hey all, thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews, and thanks SOOO much to Michelle (LivandElForLife) for being my beta for this story, and giving me some brilliant suggestions and additions! So here's chapter 7, enjoy****! xox ****Sam**

Before Elliot and Olivia had the chance to respond to what Michael had said, the TV cut out and he was gone. Gritting her teeth angrily, Olivia marched over to the screen and hit it in fury. "You bastard!" she yelled as she continued to strike it.

Her blows to the television began to intensify and Elliot watched on cautiously as she continued to break down. She then turned her attention to the concrete wall beside her and began pounding on it with her fists. She began screaming in her fit of rage and Elliot knew that this had to stop.

He apprehensively approached her, and as the distance between them shortened he noticed the streaks of blood that were beginning to plague her knuckles, "Liv…" he tried, but received no response. She just continued to scream and pound her fists into the wall. The blood on her hands grew darker as more of it surfaced and ran down her knuckles. Doing the only thing he could to get through to her, he came up behind her and wrapped his arms securely around her waist, pulling her away from the wall.

Her fists were still swinging when he picked her up and her screams grew louder as her limbs flailed wildly in the air. Within seconds, however, she had gone limp in his arms and the only sound coming from her lips were the muffled sobs of a broken woman.

"Shh, it's okay, it's all gonna be okay," he assured as soothingly as he could manage while still refusing to loosen his grip on her waist. She turned around in his arms, so that she was facing him, and buried her face into the crook of his neck. Elliot tightened his grasp around her waist with one hand and brought the other up to stroke her bare back lovingly.

"Don't let him get to you, Liv. He's under your skin and that's exactly what he wants. If you crumble, he wins. You have to stay strong baby, I know you can do it." He felt her breathing begin to even out and her whimpering subsided. She placed all of the weight that was previously resting against his body onto her own legs and stood up on her own, pulling away from him only slightly.

"Jesus Christ. Look at me, I'm a fucking mess." she muttered as she backed out of the hold he had on her.

"Come here, let me see your hands." he lifted her hands into his own and began to inspect them. "It doesn't look like you broke anything, but you did some pretty good damage." he knelt down by her feet and ripped the bottom six inches of silk from her dress.

"What are you doing?" she gasped as she felt him tear the fabric.

"Come here," he took her hands again and wrapped them each tightly in the makeshift silk bandages.

She winced in pain as he did so, "Owww…"

"I know, I'm sorry, but we should really try to stop the bleeding." he finished wrapping them and tied each one securely so they would remain in place.

"Thanks." she said as he rubbed her injured hands gently. She wiped a few stray tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath, "I'm sorry," she whispered.

"Liv, don't apologize. You have nothing to be sorry about."

"How can you say that?" she scoffed, a bitter laugh escaping her lips, "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be here right now wondering whether or not some psycho is going to kill you. If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have that nasty bump on your head," her voice was slowly escalating in volume. "If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have had your life turned upside down by a man who has absolutely no vendetta towards you other than the fact that you know _me_!"

Olivia was now screaming at Elliot. Her voice escalated with nearly every word she spoke. Elliot was watching her, letting her scream at him all she wanted. He knew she needed to get it all out. Him of all people knew how unhealthy it was to keep everything bottled up. He had done the very same thing until Olivia came along. She knew just the right ways to push his buttons and make all of his emotions spew out of him like he was a volcano.

"If it weren't for you I would have given up on everything a long time ago!" The words spilled from his mouth before he had the chance to recognize that they were even there, "Don't you see, Liv? If it weren't for you, I'd be lost. I know I don't do a very good job of showing it most of the time, but I need you, more than you'll ever know. The night that Kathy left me I thought I had nothing, but the next day I went into work and saw you sitting there at your desk and I realized that I had everything. You're my best friend Olivia, you're my sense of direction, and you're worth anything that I have to go through for you, even if it means I have to die doing it."

Olivia had never been struck completely speechless before, but there she stood; staring at him, mouth agape, and at a complete loss for words. "Elliot..." she breathed.

"You don't have to say anything Liv. I just want you to stop taking the blame for a situation that isn't your fault…" he was cut off by Olivia's lips crashing onto his own. The kiss was full of fire and passion, and he could taste the salt of her previous tears on her lips. When she pulled away she was panting lightly and her eyes pierced into his while she stared into them.

"Thank you." she said softly. He nodded in response and kissed her gently once more. She smirked, "You know, you're pretty good at that Stabler."

"You're not so bad yourself, Benson."

"So what is this? Three kisses in one night doesn't seem like a very partner like thing if you ask me." her voice was playful, but her words were sincere.

"We're more than just partners, Liv. I told you, you're my best friend…"

"Well, you're a very generous friend." They both laughed, but her tone soon grew serious, "And what if we were more than just friends?"

"Then I'd be one lucky son of a bitch." he answered slyly with a crooked smile. He noticed the seriousness in her eyes, and his demeanor grew serious as well. "Is that what you want?"

She took a deep breath as she tried to gather her thoughts and put them in order. It was now the moment of truth for her, as well as for their relationship.

"I don't know what I want, but I do know that tonight has made me think a lot about my life. I've never been truly happy with anyone or anything, Elliot. When I was with Michael I thought I was happy for a little while, but I never really was. I didn't love him, he was just my ticket out of my mother's house. My entire life I've been running around in circles looking for the next best thing, but for the past few years I've been stuck. There's no next best thing anymore, I've stumbled upon _the_ best thing. For the first time in my life, I'm not out looking for something better because in my heart I know that there is nothing better. I'm finally happy, and it's because of you. There's only one thing that's missing, and I know I took the really long way around, but I guess what I'm trying to say is yes… yes that is what I want." she confessed, and immediately felt an immense weight lifted from her shoulders.

She sighed audibly with relief, but could not bring herself to meet his eyes. Half of her was expecting him to address her with some big, long speech about the many reasons why they could not be together, while the other half of her was expecting him to feel sorry for her and try to change the subject, and she was surprised when neither of those things occurred.

He simply walked over to where she was standing, placed a warm hand on her cheek, and said, "Me too," as he leaned down and kissed her gently. She smiled into the kiss and momentarily forgot where she was. It wasn't until the television, that she had earlier attempted to annihilate, flickered on that she remembered where she was.

"Well, isn't that sweet? Are you going to ask her to the school dance too, Stabler?" Michael's voice rang through the room. Elliot placed a protective hand around Olivia's waist and glared at the screen.

"What do you want?" Olivia hissed.

"I want you," he answered with a smile. "But that will come later. For now I just wanted to let you know that any minute now an old friend is going to come visit the two of you."

"What the hell do you mean 'an old friend'?" Elliot roared and his voice rumbled with fury.

"Oh you'll find out soon enough…" He sneered and the screen went black.

**A/N: So, this was was obviously pretty much just all EO yumminess, but I promise the next chapter will dive more into the plot. I just wanted to get their relationship on track first so that way I could continue to go on with the plot. Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review kids! xox**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:**** Hey everyone! I am sooo sorry that this has taken so long. It's pretty much inexcusable, but I did just get out of the hospital and ICU because I had a blood infection, and I also missed 2 full weeks of school because of it, so let's cut a girl a break shall we? I really am sorry though and I hope you're all still with me! -****xox Sam**

Disclaimer: I don't own em'… blah blah you know the drill.

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Elliot and Olivia exchanged fearful glances. "What do you think he meant by an old friend?" she asked tentatively.

Elliot was about to answer when he heard the dead bolt on the other side of the concrete door begin to shift. "I think we're going to find out." he placed his body protectively in front of hers and watched the door slowly begin to open. His heart was pumping blood at a speed so high that it must have been unhealthy.

The door opened and he saw what could only be described as a pure demon from their (particularly Olivia's) past. He narrowed his gaze at the man and subconsciously stuck out his sculpted chest in some Neanderthal instinct of dominance and protection.

Richard White.

Olivia's stomach churned at an ungodly rate and she wouldn't have been surprised in the least if someone had told her that her blood was literally boiling. She could feel the anger and adrenaline pumping through her veins so strongly that it felt as though she was on fire. She knew Elliot was feeling the same way.

He reached a hand back and placed it firmly around her waist in a subconscious effort to remind himself that she was still there. Olivia could feel the tension and the rage radiating off of his body and she couldn't understand why Richard wasn't reacting to it because even she was partially frightened of what Elliot was capable of in this state.

But no. Richard just stood there staring at them with a Cheshire Cat grin plastered to his face. "Remember me?" They were both through with playing games and a silent communication between the two had them decide that they weren't answering him. "I remember you…" his voice was menacing. "Especially you Olivia." he slowly began to approach the couple eyeing Olivia like a lion would his prey.

"Get any closer to her and I kill you." Elliot stated finally.

"Oh but you're forgetting something Detective…" Elliot's brow furrowed in confusion, "I make the rules." he said as he pulled a gun from his jacket and aimed it at Elliot's forehead.

Olivia's breath hitched in her throat as she saw Richard's action. She knew that he wouldn't hesitate to shoot. He was a cold hearted bastard who had already come much to far across so many boundaries to think twice about shooting a man he hated.

"Please…" her voice was barely a whisper.

"Olivia, sweetheart you're going to have to speak up if you want anyone to hear you." Richard eyed her hungrily, his gun still pointed firmly at Elliot's head.

She cleared her throat and desperately tried to find her voice. "I said please… don't hurt him. I'll do whatever you want just please don't hurt him."

"Whatever I want huh?" his voice wavered as his grin expanded. "Hmm… very tempting, but he is definitely in my way my love." his finger moved to rest over the trigger.

"No! Please… I'll go with you without a fight, and do whatever you want willingly just please… please don't hurt him." her voice was shaky at the thought of White shooting Elliot.

Elliot on the other hand was less concentrated on the gun pointed at the center of his head and more on Olivia's words. He was mentally pleading with her to stop talking because he knew that Richard was listening to her. He knew that he was going to take her up on her offer to do whatever he wanted willingly and the thought of Olivia even in the same room with White let alone being forced to do God knows what made him physically ill.

Richard licked his lips as though he were preparing to devour her. His finger moved slightly away from the trigger on the gun as he lifted his other hand and beckoned Olivia to him. "Come here beautiful."

Olivia swallowed the bile that had managed to make itself present in her throat and pulled her wrist from Elliot's grasp. She mustered up all of the strength she could and forced her legs to move her towards Richard in what felt like a death march.

"Liv…" Elliot whispered. His voice was different than she'd ever heard it sound before. There was a certain vulnerability in it, a certain sound of defeat that brought tears flooding to her eyes.

She stood next to Richard and she fought to keep from vomiting as he snaked an arm around her waist and held her tightly to him. his hand slid down to her bottom and he squeezed it firmly. A small whimper escaped her lips and he laughed sinfully. "Mmm… you don't know how long I've waited for this." He pulled her roughly towards the door and Elliot instinctively took a step towards them in a futile attempt to stop them.

"Come any closer and I kill her." Richard said simply pointing the gun at Olivia's temple. Elliot froze and his eyes locked with Olivia's. Her eyes resembled a child's; filled to the brim with tears looking completely helpless. She closed her eyes, blinking back her tears and mouthed a simple "I'm sorry." to him. His own eyes began to fill with tears as he tried to swallow the pronounced lump that had formed in his throat.

She closed her eyes as Richard pushed her forcefully out of the room and Elliot saw a single tear slide down her cheek.

When they were gone and the door was once again dead bolted from the other side Elliot fell to the ground. He could barely breathe. He'd failed her. The one thing that he'd always promised her would never happen just happened. He always promised her he would never let anything happen to her, and there he was letting everything bad that could possibly happen to her happen. Part of him wished that White would have just pulled the trigger in the first place and spared him the guilt of failing her.

He remembered once that in a moment of weakness Olivia had told him that she thought rape was worse than death. When he questioned her reasoning she simply said, "You only die once."

Elliot let his head fall into his hands and stopped trying to suppress his tears and cried openly praying to God that Olivia wouldn't choose death. It was then that the television flicked on and Michael's voice sliced through the room.

"Hey Stabler, wanna watch a dirty movie?" he laughed. Before Elliot could question him the picture changed and before him he saw what could be described as his worst nightmare. On the screen was Olivia and Richard White.

**A/N: Hey! So I hope that this was at least somewhat worth the wait. I apologize againfor how long this took me to update, but I think I have an idea of where I'm going with this now. PLEASE REVIEW so that way I know people are still reading!! I hope you enjoyed!! xox Sam**


	9. Chapter 9

**Author's Note: I know I'm horrible. Please don't kill me. I was in the hospital with a blood infection for like a month and then when I got out I had a months worth of school work to finish on top of two shows that I was in. So needless to say, I was busy. No excuses though, I'm back and all caught up with everything and my shows have closed, so finally here is chapter 9. I really do apologize for the ridiculously long wait, and thank you sooo much to all of you hew reviewed. - xox Sam**

Elliot's jaw clenched as he viewed the screen before him. He watched Richard approach Olivia and kiss her hungrily. He felt as though he was going to vomit, but it wasn't until he saw Richard slide the strap of her dress down her arm that he lost it completely. He ran over to the television and lifted it pulling all of the wires out of their places. He dropped it at his feet and watched it shatter along with his heart.

He kicked the set repeatedly before his legs gave out beneath him and he fell to the cool cement floor. He put his head in his hands and through his sobs repeatedly whispered, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry…" He tried in vain to catch his breath and prevent the state of hyperventilation that he was quickly entering. It was then that he heard it. The sound of two gunshots sliced through the room taking all of the air in Elliot's lungs with them. He was going to vomit, because he knew that the only thing those gunshots could have meant was that he had failed Olivia for the last time.

His eyes glazed over and he stared at the dirty floor beneath him waiting for his executioner to arrive. He wasn't going to fight, because if she was dead he didn't want or deserve to live either. Two more gunshots resounded and he didn't even flinch. He just kept his eyes fixed on the floor praying that death would come sooner rather than later.

He heard the door open but didn't even bother looking up from his zombie like state.

The steps were approaching slowly, but he didn't care, he wanted to be dead. Tears gathered in his eyes as he thought about Olivia. He thought about all of the times that they had shared not only as partners but just in each other's company. He thought about the time that they went to Meloni's and Olivia got so drunk that she belted out show tunes on top of the bar and he had to carry her home, he thought about Oregon and Gitano, and he thought about their newly developed relationship and how they never got to fully dive into the waters that they had been testing since the beginning of their partnership.

The footsteps ceased because whoever it was stood right in front of him now, but he couldn't bear to even look at the bastard. "Just do it." Elliot finally whispered.

No response.

"Go ahead shoot me, I'm already dead so just do it. You killed me when you killed her."

"Elliot." his eyes shot up from the floor and he was sure that he was going to pass out. There before him stood Olivia drenched in blood with a gun in her hand and tears streaming down her face. Her dress was more torn than it was when she left and bruises were beginning to take shape on her face.

Elliot slowly stood up and reached for her convulsing hand that held the gun. He gently pulled it from her grasp and as soon as it hit the floor it was as if a spell was broken. She launched herself into his arms and they both sobbed uncontrollably.

They stood this way for what seemed like eternity until Elliot gained some sense of composure. He pulled away from her and held her in front of him. "H-how?" he stuttered.

"I… I grabbed White's while h-he was taking m-my panties off." she choked out. "I shot him. Then I w-went to find Michael and when I d-did I… I shot him too." he pulled her into his arms and they held each other so closely it was as if they were one. He kissed her disheveled hair as she fisted his shirt in the palms of her hands.

"It's okay," he whispered, "It's okay now."

****

******** 3 months later********

Her heart raced as she looked into his eyes. They were black and desolate, and they burned through her as if it was their purpose to kill her.

"I killed you!" she screamed. She thought she had shot and killed Michael Crane three months earlier, and now here he was standing above her with a knife poised at her throat.

"Elliot!" she pleaded.

"Oh he's dead sweetheart." the agony was evident in her stare and she felt as though she was on fire.

"No…" she whispered as tears shot down her face. Her whispers soon grew into agonizing screams of pain. "No! Elliot!! NO!!!"

"OLIVIA!" her eyes shot open to reveal a worrisome Elliot gripping her shoulders. Her breathing was still heavy and ragged, but she was farther away from hyperventilation than she was just seconds before. She sat up and he watched her cautiously before pulling her into his arms.

She slowly surveyed her surroundings realizing that she was still in their bedroom lying in bed with him. She relaxed into his arms and allowed him to lay down once again with her on top of him. He held her closely as he stroked her hair and whispered words of comfort into her ear. "It was just another nightmare." he cooed.

"Just a nightmare…" she repeated softly. A few minutes later once she was finally calmed down she spoke again, "I love you."

"I love you too Liv," he gave her a gentle kiss, "Are you okay?" she nodded. "Try to sleep baby."

It wasn't long until once again they were both asleep, safe in the comfort of each other's arms.

**I'm falling even more in love with you  
Letting go of all I've held onto  
I'm standing here until you make me move  
I'm hanging by a moment here with you  
I'm living for the only thing I know  
I'm running and not quite sure where to go  
And I don't know what I'm diving into  
Just hanging by a moment here with you.**

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A/N: So that's it kids. I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to get here, but I do hope that it was worth it. I'm just about to start anothre story, and the first chapter should be out by either tonight or tomorrow, so keep your eyes open for that one. Thanks so much for reading everyone, don't forget to leave me one last review!! Love you all! - xox Sam  
**


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